This press pack accompanied the UK launch of the revised first generation Yaris and Yaris Verso in March 2003. Some changes were made to the model during its time on sale, which can be tracked using the Timeline feature available on the first generation Yaris Verso archive web page. Additional assets and information relating to the Yaris Verso range may be obtained from the Toyota press office if required.

TOYOTA YARIS AND YARIS VERSO – NEW FOR 2003

GREATER SAFETY, STYLE, COMFORT AND PERFORMANCE FOR 2003 YARIS AND YARIS VERSO

KEY POINTS

  • Styling, safety, equipment, handling and engine revisions for Yaris and Yaris Verso
  • New specification grades T2, T3 and T Spirit, replacing S, GS, GLS, CDX and SR
  • T Sport model continues, now available in 5-door bodystyle
  • New range sale in UK from 1 May
  • Yaris priced from £6,995 to £12,495 on the road
  • Yaris Verso priced from £10,695 to £12,395 on the road
  • Up to £500 additional specification with no increase in pricing
  • All models feature ABS and Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) as standard
  • Three-point seatbelts standard for all rear seats
  • Driver’s airbag standard on all models
  • Front passenger and front side airbags standard on T3 grade and above
  • Introduction of new Multi-mode Manual Transmission on 1.0-litre offering choice of clutchless sequential gearshifts or fully automatic operation
  • New 1.3-litre petrol (86bhp) engine added to Yaris hatchback range
  • 1.0, 1.3 and 1.5-litre petrol engines all comply with Euro IV emissions regulations
  • Adjustment to front and rear suspension settings for improved ride comfort and manoeuvrability
  • Enhanced body styling with new-look front bumper, mesh grille and ‘teardrop’ headlights
  • New range of body colours and wheel designs
  • Low cost of ownership for entire range with insurance groups of 2E for 1.0-litre up to 7E for 1.5-litre T Sport
  • T Sport gains new bumper design and black front grille
  • Quality interior ambience with new fabrics, trim and colours and restyled facia and controls
  • Production at Toyota’s Valenciennes factory passes 200,000; now running at one car every minute
  • New-look model to build on record 212,618 Yaris sales in Europe in 2002 (31,313 UK sales)

SHORT STORY

In 2000 the Toyota Yaris made motoring history as the first model to be named both European and Japanese Car of the Year in the same year. Toyota is now taking the exceptional qualities of its Yaris and Yaris Verso to new levels with improved safety and handling, greater economy, more style and higher equipment levels.

The new-look Yaris will be available in the UK from May. Specification grades have been changed to bring Yaris in line with other new Toyota models: T2, T3 and T Spirit replace the previous S, GS, GLS, CDX and SR grades. The T Sport grade is carried over from the previous range, but now includes the five-door bodystyle.

On the road prices start at £6,995 for the three-door 1.0-litre T2 version and rise to £12,495 for the five-door 1.5 VVT-i T Sport.

New Yaris grades benefit not only from design and perceived quality improvements, but also receive a number of additional features at no extra cost compared to the previous range.

The six-model Yaris Verso range starts at £10,695 on nthe road for the 1.3 VVT-I T3 and climbs to £12,395 for the 1.4 D-4D T Spirit.

Setting standards in safety

The Yaris set a new benchmark in safety in the supermini sector when it was launched. Now it goes even further to offer active and passive passenger protection that matches the levels expected of larger and more expensive models. The body structure has been enhanced and side airbags are standard on all versions bar the T2 entry level model. All three rear seats now benefit from three-point seatbelts as standard.

New and improved powertrains

The choice of engines has been revised, too. An all-new 1.3-litre (86bhp) engine joins the range, alongside an upgraded 1.0-litre (64bhp) and 1.5-litre (103bhp) petrol units. The 1.4-litre D-4D (74bhp) common rail diesel is also available. Detailed changes have been made to the petrol engines to ensure compliance with Euro IV emissions standards, due to come into force in 2005.

A Multi-mode Manual Transmission is being offered for the first time on the Yaris with 1.0-litre VVT-i engine. The optional system allows the driver to choose between dynamic, sequential manual gear changes and fully automatic operation. Thanks to its sophisticated electronics, the Multi-mode Manual Transmission is more economical when used as an automatic that the standard five-speed manual gearbox.

Extra ride and handling refinement

The Toyota Yaris boasted one of the best rides in its sector. Now its performance is even better, following refinements to front and rear suspension settings. Springs and shock absorbers have been adapted to improve comfort and manoeuvrability.

Design changes outside and in

The changes to the Yaris are not just under the skin. The car has been given a more youthful, sportier look, inspired by the 2000 Yaris Cabrio concept car. A bold range of four vibrant new body colours adds to the impact.

Bumper sections and the front grille have been revised and pronounced ‘teardrop’ shape headlamps have been adopted; rear lamp clusters have also been restyled.

Inside the cabin, the Yaris’s superb quality has been enhanced by a sleeker facia, incorporating a redesigned central digital display. The minor controls have also been revised and a new range of fabric, trim and colours adds to the refined ambience of the interior.

Outstanding market performance

The changes to the Toyota Yaris will add new impetus to its already impressive market performance. Designed specifically to appeal to the European market and built at Toyota’s ultra-modern plant at Valenciennes in France, the Yaris achieved new record sales (212,618) in 2002, up one per cent on the previous year. Since the car’s launch in 1999, European sales have topped 750,000 units.

The Valenciennes plant has been building the Yaris since 31 January 2001 and the 200,000th car came off the line on 3 January this year. Production capacity was increased to 184,000 units a year in November 2002 and currently one Toyota Yaris is built every minute.

THE BEST GETS BETTER

  • “Tall But Compact” design achieves a revolution in small car packaging
  • Advanced technology delivers most efficient engine line-up in supermini segment
  • First car in the segment to offer navigation system and Multi-Information Display
  • 1.0 and 1.3-litre engines named Engine of the Year in 1999 and 2000 respectively
  • Safest car in the segment according to EURO NCAP ratings
  • First vehicle to claim both European and Japanese Car of the Year awards
  • Yaris and Yaris Verso leaders in customer satisfaction (J.D Power & Associates UK and Germany surveys)

The Yaris and Yaris Verso were conceived as cars which would give the lie to long-held preconceptions about small cars, particularly among the younger, 20 to 30 age group. Here was a model range that added extra dimensions of fashion and fun to the traditional Toyota values of quality, durability and reliability.

Toyota’s development team for Yaris and Yaris Verso worked to create an interior with the atmosphere of a comfortable and practical living space. The key ingredients were a flat floor, generous headroom and flexible seating that could easily be stowed away. The result was a car with great appeal for the young at heart with a busy, demanding lifestyle.

Although Yaris was entering a new market segment, it still needed to retain Toyota’s established brand virtues of innovative design and sophisticated engineering. These qualities could be seen in details such as the Yaris Verso’s rear seat system, which retracts fully into the floor to form a flat load area, and the introduction into the B segment of powertrain technology from larger vehicles, including VVT-i (Variable Valve Timing-intelligent), sequential multiport injection and resin intake manifolds.

From launch in 1999, the engine range in the Toyota Yaris extended from a 1.0-litre to a 1.5-litre engine and included a 1.4-litre diesel. These engines were the best in their segment in terms of efficiency, performance and fuel consumption.

In spite of the Yaris’s compact size and small ‘footprint’ on the road (it measures just 3.6m from bumper to bumper), it is a spacious car with 2.5 cubic metres of cabin space. That matches many C-segment cars and means there is plenty of room for five adults. There is also more than 15 litres of cabin storage, spread around 12 different compartments, and the sliding rear seat allows the boot or rear seat passenger space to be adjusted according to need. The Yaris also appeals because of the ‘stand tall’ nature of its design. Seats are five to seven centimetres higher than in rival models, which makes for much easier and more comfortable access.

Toyota’s success in creating a car designed around the needs and lifestyle of its owners has been recognised by motoring and independent experts around the world who have garlanded the Yaris with 30 prestigious awards since its was launched. In 1999 the Yaris made history by becoming the first car to win the European and Japanese Car of the Year awards in the same year and also being voted the safest supermini by EURO NCAP. The Yaris topped categories in the J.D. Power & Associates customer satisfaction index in the UK and Germany. That all serves to show that value for money and quality engineering are compatible.

TOYOTA YARIS PRINCIPAL AWARDS 1999 - 2003

CAR/ENGINE / COUNTRY / AWARD/ACHIEVEMENT
1999-2003
Yaris / Europe / Safest supermini, EURO NCAP
1999
Yaris/Yaris Verso / Japan / Car of the Year Japan
Yaris / UK / Best Small Car, Scottish Car of the Year
Yaris / UK / Car of the Year, Autocar
Yaris / UK / Best Small Car, Good Housekeeping magazine
Yaris / Europe / 2000 European Car Of The Year
1.0-litre engine / Europe / Engine of the Year 1999
Yaris / Austria / 2nd "Big Austrian Automobile-Award", ARBOE (Austrian touring club)
Yaris / Ireland / Irish Car of the Year 2000
Yaris / Portugal / Best utilitarian, “Coroa de Louros” award
Yaris / Spain / “Lowest fuel consumption” 1999, “Telva del Motor” award
Yaris Verso / Russia / 3rd place, Russian Association of Designers
2000
Yaris/ Yaris Verso / Japan / Car of the Year Japan
Yaris / UK / Best in class, What Car? Security Test
Yaris / UK / Dealers Choice Car of the Year 2000/2001" supermini category, Institute of Transport Management
1.3-litre engine / Europe / Engine of the Year 2000, 1.0-1.4-litre category
Yaris / Switzerland / Small Car of the Year, Auto Illustrierte magazine
Yaris / Denmark / Best Mini/Compact Car 2000, Bil Magasinet magazine
Yaris Sol 1.0 / Portugal / Utilitarian of the Year
Yaris / Norway / Norwegian Car of the Year
Yaris 1.0 Sol / Hungary / Test Car of the Year, Magyar Hírlap
2001
Yaris / UK / Best Used Car award, Auto Express
Yaris / UK / Dealers Choice Car of the Year 2000/2001" supermini category, Institute of Transport Management
Yaris / Denmark / Best Mini/Compact Car 2001, Bil Magasinet magazine
Yaris 1.0 / Denmark / Best cost of ownership for a petrol car, "Penge & Privatøkonomi" magazine
Yaris / Portugal / “Car Of The Year”, Auto Magazine
Yaris / Portugal / “Car Of The Year”, Auto magazine
2002
Yaris/ Yaris Verso / UK / Top model, Customer Satisfaction Index, J.D. Power & Associates
Yaris / Denmark / Best Mini/Compact Car 2002, Bil Magasinet magazine
Yaris / Poland / Warsaw Motorshow, “Most Fashionable Car”
Yaris/ Yaris Verso / Germany / Best Small Car, Customer Satisfaction Index, J.D. Power & Associates
Yaris D-4D / Denmark / “Most economical car in Denmark”, FDM
2003
Yaris / UK / “Best Used Supermini”, Used Car Buyer Magazine
Yaris D-4D / Finland / Eco Car of the Year, Tuulilasi magazine

LEAN AND GREEN – TOYOTA’S MANUFACTURING REVOLUTION

  • Valenciennes factory first in Europe to use Toyota’s new, revolutionary Global Body Line (GBL) production management system
  • GBL’s in-built versatility allows for simple adaptation to cope with low or high volume production
  • Improvements in line operating efficiency create a new benchmark in quality
  • Greater use of natural lighting achieves energy savings and a 50 per cent cut in CO2 emissions
  • Design using computerised “Virtual Factory” reduced the size of the production unit by half
  • ISO9001 and ISO14001 certifications achieved by Valenciennes confirm the value of GBL

Toyota’s manufacturing facility at Valenciennes in France is one of Europe’s most advanced car plants. Compact, flexible and highly efficient, it showcases the benefits of Toyota’s Global Body Line (GBL) production process.

GBL has been designed to work successfully in any car plant, no matter how many different models are built, in whatever quantity. It addresses the need for vehicle manufacturers to fine tune their assembly process to match the ebb and flow of customer demand and so reduce the number of unsold vehicles held in stock. It was first implemented at the Takaoka factory in Japan, the ‘cradle’ of Yaris production.

In 1996 Toyota set about creating a flexible assembly line that would make it easy for production facilities around the world to add or switch to new models or ramp up production of existing models within a short period, without sacrificing Toyota quality standards.

Over the next two years, Toyota engineers developed inside locator jigs for easier manual operation. At the same time, the design allowed for robot operation for mass production purposes. The concept was that if the tasks could be made easy for people to do, then the efficiency of the robots would also increase.

By offering the freedom to use people or robots according to profitability, the line could be flexible enough to handle everything from low volume to mass production.

Using inside locator jigs has made it possible to run multi-model production, simply by changing a jig on the line. Previously it required 50 jigs in circulation. As a result, Toyota can react instantaneously and make changes to the model mix to meet fluctuations in demand. At the same time, the need for fewer jigs and the creation of more compact production lines have achieved significant reductions in investment costs and space.

Streamlining the equipment and using natural lighting has reduced the amount lighting equipment required. This greatly reduces power consumption, saving energy and cutting carbon dioxide emissions by half.

Development time was substantially reduced by using a computerised virtual factory. Toyota was able to perform on-screen simulation of line systems with 3D solid data. This included testing the feasibility of multi-model production, ease of work and maintainability. Simulation of quality issues, such as body accuracy, welding quality and process capability, was also implemented on-screen.

This technology has yielded considerable cost savings during the construction process at Valenciennes. The size of the factory was reduced by 50 per cent, lessening its impact on the local environment.

GBL eliminates the need to shut down the line in order to switch to or launch new models. Its flexibility means it can also handle additions and changes to production facilities with ease.

By cutting the need for specialised jigs from 50 units to just one, GBL allows for new vehicle production to be launched according to sales forecasts with only a short lead time and minimal investment. This dynamic production planning helps Toyota deliver its cars to its customers faster.

The success of GBL at Valenciennes is reflected in the plant achieving ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certification for quality management systems and environmental management.

FRESH FACE FOR STYLISH TREND SETTER

  • Yaris re-style inspired by Yaris Cabrio concept
  • Design modifications give Yaris a smarter appearance and provide Yaris Verso with a more dynamic profile
  • Four new body colours available for Yaris
  • Two new colours for Yaris Verso

When the Toyota Yaris and Yaris Verso first arrived on the market they made an immediate impact on design conscious drivers. Here were cars that did away with conventional hatchback and three-box styling in favour of exciting, bold designs that challenged the best Europe had to offer

As the Yaris is an extremely compact car, it wasn’t possible to create an image of luxury through size. Instead the designers worked on the car’s external surfaces to produce a coherent and appealing blend of curves and lines.

YARIS STYLE CHANGES

The new challenge to the Toyota design team was to freshen the appearance of the Yaris without diluting its intrinsic styling values. This has been achieved by restyling the front bumper, radiator grille and headlights to provide a striking, sportier and more youthful look. Both the air vent in the bumper and the radiator grille feature a new mesh treatment and the headlamps adopt a teardrop shape that extends into the top line of the bumper. The inner surface of the headlights has been chrome plated, adding to the boldness of the Yaris’s new appearance and improving forward illumination.